Somalia OK's foreign attack on pirates holding Ukrainian ship

Somalia has given foreign nations permission to use force if necessary against Somali pirates who hijacked a Ukrainian ship loaded with tanks and ammunition, Somalia's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

"The international community has permission to fight with the pirates," said Mohamed Jama Ali, the ministry's acting permanent director.

It's been granted on condition that foreign powers co-ordinate their actions with Somali government officials beforehand.

Ali said negotiations between the ship's Ukrainian owners and the pirates were taking place by telephone, but "no other side is involved in negotiations."

Last week's hijacking of the Ukrainian ship MV Faina carrying 33 Soviet-made T-72 tanks, rifles, and heavy weapons that U.S. defence officials have said include rocket launchers was the highest-profile act of piracy in the dangerous waters off Somalia this year.

U.S. warships surround hijacked vessel

The ship, which carried a crew of 21, is surrounded by half a dozen U.S. warships off the central coast of Somalia and helicopters are buzzing overhead. The vessels include the guided missile destroyer USS Howard, which has sophisticated weapons and monitoring equipment.

Russia also has dispatched a warship to the scene, saying it must protect the lives of the Russians aboard the captive vessel. One crew member has reportedly died. The ship is expected to take about a week to arrive.

The U.S. warships are not allowing the pirates to take any weapons off theship. The U.S. navy says it wants to keep the arms out of the hands of militants linked to al-Qaeda in Somalia, a key battleground in the war on terrorism.

The navy said it is not participating in negotiations between the pirates and the ship's owners.

Pirates have attacked 62 ships in the region this year, hijacking 26 of them. They continue to hold 12 vessels along with more than 200 crew members.